Chapter 1

Optimus still didn't understand where they had failed those many million vorns ago. He was reminded at every fight they fought against the Decepticons, the seekers' presence at the enemy's side reawakening the memories again and again.

Thundercracker as the Heir to the throne and the title of Winglord had survived the massive attack against their city together with his brother, while their creator's had died during the fatal attacks.

The blame had later been put on the autobot senate, the coordinated attack at Starscream; which shouldn't have been possible, and the later attack on Vos raised suspicions, and while nothing actually confirmed the suspicions, the high-strung senators did nothing to deflate the accusations by denying.

Then Starscream had suddenly disappeared from Iacon, his guards too. Everyone though the flier to have returned to his own city, but an orn later he was found walking the streets outside the senate in confusion. Forgotten was his attack, who he was and what he was doing there. The only thing Optimus could do was to return him to his people, and showing his sorrow at what had happened to the seeker. The guards were never found.

Prime had then just one day awoken to the alarms ringing out around the city accompanied with the sounds of fighting.

Seekers had dominated the skies and kaonites had flooded the streets. Half of the senate was killed before any of the autobots had woken from their stupor and defended their city.

It had been a day of deep sorrow. Later the Decepticons was formed, gathering both kaonites and vosians under the same banner; Megatrons.

Sighing he returned to the present, watching the medbay and Ratchet working on the injured warriors while guiding FirstAid in how to do certain repairs. It had been a long fight this one.

The oilfield the decepticons had targeted had been the largest in the country it lay in, and the ruined buildings and materials lost would take a long time to repair. The seekers had been at their best. Thundercracker leading as always, cool and collected. The blue seeker was deadly alone but disastrous together with his brothers.

The command trine had almost succeeded in deactivating Jazz; if it hadn't been for Sideswipe and Sunstreaker jumping Skywarp and Thundercracker when they had, the saboteur would have been worst off than he was at the moment with Ratchet operating the strong lived mech. Prowl had been forced to wait outside the medbay, the look of his bonded would probably make him glitch and right now Ratchet was in no mood to fix any avoidable damage.

"A coin for your thoughts." A voice said beside him, startling him from his deeper thoughts. Beside him he found Sideswipe looking thoughtful, an act so strange on the easygoing warrior.

"Oh I'm just thinking of the past. The seekers keep troubling me." Optimus answered the red warrior.

"Ah you used to know Starscream right?" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had joined the autobots vorns into the war, but almost everyone who had been aboard the Ark knew of the past Optimus had with Starscream.

"Yes. I knew him quite well and I still can't imagine what could cause him to act this aggressive. Did you know he had a medical education?" the Prime voiced, watching the surprise in the warrior.

"Medical? You are kidding me?" Sideswipe laughed. He couldn't imagine the screaming one to repair anyone, more preferably dissecting them.

"No I'm serious. That was why and how I met him. He lived at the palace of the Prime while studying grounder frames." Optimus frowned at the antics Sideswipe expressed at that.

"Well sure no medic about him right now." Sideswipe said, and Optimus felt a strange sensation when the words had been said. This talk had reinforced the feeling that something was off about the seekers.

Meanwhile on the Nemesis:

"Get your lousy frame on the berth NOW!" Starscream screeched at the sulking black and purple flier. His younger brother could be a pain in the aft.

"But whyyyy Scree?" Skywarp whined at his trineleader.

"You got a damn sheet of your wing shredded, and I don't trust Hook to repair any seeker frame properly, you KNOW that!" was the retort. Starscream snorted at the pitiful pout Skywarp cast him as he unceremonially threw himself onto the berth.

"Those blasted twins!" Skywarp scowled. "Why do they have to target us with their damned jetjudo?"

"It is the games of war dear brother." Starscream singsonged as a response; he had heard the complaints countless of times.

"Still – Ow!" the flier was halted in his ranting when Starscream pinched a delicate area of the newly repaired wing. Starscream just smiled innocently at the other as he was the target of a menacing scowl.

Skywarp could keep going when he first got started on ranting.

Just then Thundercracker entered the room taking in the pathetic sight of his youngest, while Starscream vigorously tried to avoid laughing. Sighing he went to his own berth, relaxing his frame after the successful raid and the later 'enjoyable' meeting with Megatron. The tyrant always wanted more or better, no matter how well a raid went.

"We have a new target on the next raid." He told his brothers when he had their attention. His face slowly grew malicious as he saw the excitement in Skywarps eyes, the younger expectantly watching the glints in his eyes.

"We are going to take out the menaces." He said. "No more jetjudo." The last word was pronounced with venom. He had been to Hook himself at their return, Sunstreaker had managed to wreak havoc in his internals during the short time he had been onboard the blue seeker.

"Really?" Skywarp was jumping on the spot, not able to stand still while Starscream meanwhile studied his blue brother warily.

"Yes. We are going to plan a raid, purely as a decoy of the true purpose. The twins has made too much of a ruckus lately to be left alive any longer." Thundercracker felt no pity against his two nemeses; they had spoiled his plans enough times to justify deactivation.